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15 killed, 12 injured in gun attack

Tue, Apr 16, 1996, 01:00

JAKARTA - An Indonesian army officer ran amok at a remote airport in Irian Jaya yesterday and shot dead 15 people, including at least 10 soldiers and a New Zealander. Twelve people were in hospital with gunshot wounds following the dawn shooting at Timika airport, about 4,000 km east of Jakarta.

Local sources said the attacks occurred after an aircraft carrying the bodies of two soldiers believed hacked to death by jungle tribesmen or separatist rebels at the weekend made a refuelling stop.

Earlier, business sources said the two soldiers were killed by local tribesmen with machetes after a row in Mapunduma, where 26 people were kidnapped by rebels of the Free Papua Movement in January.